This invention relates to a food packaging for packaging and transporting of food items in separated layers. It is particularly relevant to packaging and transport of sandwiches but is not limited to that application. Other uses can include for crisp bread, biscuits, bread rolls and other food items having layers such as trifles and puddings or requiring initial separation.
There are many forms of packaging of a sandwich as a whole such as in vertically slotted lunch boxes receiving whole sandwiches in the slot and drinks or fruit in other slots. Sandwiches can be firmly wrapped within a thin wrapping material such as a polyethylene wrap. Also packaging can be in triangular halves with an L-shape cardboard structure running alongside the outside L-shape of the crust of a diagonally cut sandwich, with the sandwich being fully enclosed by a thin wrap so that the contents of the sandwich are visible through the thin wrap along the diagonal of the sandwich.
However, all these forms of packaging and transport of sandwiches provide protection around the entire outside of the sandwich but allow for permeation of various materials of the sandwich through to other parts of the sandwich.
In particular it is very difficult to package and transport salad sandwiches which may incorporate a number of liquid holding materials such as lettuce, beetroot, tomato; a range of differently compressible materials such as crispy lettuce and sliced cheese; and a range of liquid permeable materials such as grated carrot and the bread itself. Also some foods may have strong flavours or odours, such as eggs or fish, which are able to permeate other parts of the sandwich. Generally, if a fresh salad sandwich is made and eaten soon after making, the full benefit of this collection of flavours and consistency is enjoyed since there has not been time for substantial permeation, deterioration or deformation of the sandwich. However, if a sandwich is made in the morning and transported to work or school and eaten some three to six hours later, permeation, deterioration and deformation of the various liquids, flavours and odours of the constituents result in a less palatable sandwich. Similar loss of palatability occurs, but possibly at a slower rate, for crisp bread or biscuits with toppings whether that be cheese spread, food pastes or other. Even further lessening of palatability occurs with prepackaged commercial material which may not be consumed until days, weeks or months after manufacture.
The three options usually taken to overcome such problems with regard to sandwiches is to firstly not make salad sandwiches or other sandwiches likely to allow such permeation or deterioration if the sandwich is not being eaten immediately. Secondly, allow controlled permeation by the particular arrangement of the materials in the sandwich such that for example, beetroot is placed between a cheese slice and the grated carrot so that any liquid is absorbed by the grated carrot on one side and only partially permeates the cheese slice on the other side. Thirdly, purchase a commercial sandwich when required which has been freshly made, thereby increasing costs. Other commercial products would include additives to repel or retain moisture or to retain freshness of particular constituents. The ever increasing number of additives in foods is becoming less acceptable to consumers or is detrimental to the health of some consumers.
It is known to have a container which has separate compartments. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,595,099 shows a particular container for ice cream sandwiches. This allows for multiple numbers of ice cream sandwiches to be included in a container set. When it is desired to consume one of the separated and stored sandwiches it may be easily extracted from the container by, after removing the cover, pushing up on an insert disc through an aperture in the bottom of the container with the thumb or forefinger. However, such an apparatus does not maintain the layers of the food separate. As such, it is necessary to have a biscuit end which is substantially impermeable to the ice cream, or allow for permeation or sogginess of the biscuit.
It is also known to separate layers of food such as layers of cheese that readily stick together. As shown in UK patent GB 2192170 this is undertaken by having a strip of material extending in zigzag formation throughout the layers of cheese and ensuring a double layer of strip material between the layers of cheese. In this way it is the non-adhesiveness of the double layer to each other which allows removal of a single layer of food. However, it is not possible to use such a system for layers of food which allows removal of the system while retaining the food in the same layer formation.
It is an object of this invention to provide a food packaging that allows for easy packaging and transport of the food item so as to avoid or minimise the disadvantages provided by permeation and crushing of constituents of the sandwich.
In accordance with the invention there is provided a food packaging for use in packaging a food item in separate layers, including: one or more separating sheets for placement between layers of food items to be retained separate for a period of time; a retainer with one or more openings sized to allow a substantial portion of one or more of said separating sheets placed between layers of food items to extend therethrough so as to allow removal of said one or more separating sheets through the openings while retaining the layers of the food item from substantially moving with the separating sheets.
The separating sheets may be flexible or rigid and the retainer may be positioned when in use at substantially right angles to the separating sheets along one side of the food item with its openings being slots to allow for lateral removal of the separating sheets which have been positioned substantially parallel to the base of the food item.
The layered and separated food item may be enclosed by an enclosure means. This can be a rigid structure which cooperates with the larger retainer means or be a flexible wrapping material such as polyethylene wrap or wax paper.
The food packaging may include a spacing means to maintain the separating sheets in relative spaced positions so as to avoid crushing of the layers of food items. The retainer and/or enclosure means can form part of the spacing means.
In one form the invention comprises a food packaging for packaging a food item with separated layers, including: one or more separating sheets for placement between layers of food items to be separated; an enclosure means able to substantially surround the food product, spacing means able to maintain the separating sheets in relative spaced positions, and a retainer able to extend substantially perpendicular to said one or more separating sheets and with one or more openings sized to allow said one or more separating sheets to be placed between layers of food items and to extend therethrough and allow removal of said one or more separating sheets through the opening while the retainer prevents the food item from substantially moving with the separating sheets.
The invention also provides a method of packaging a layered food item which is selectively separated while being retained as a layered food item including the steps of:
constructing a layered food item with separating sheets placed between the layers to be selectively kept separate; enclosing the layered food item; and wherein removal of the separating sheets comprises the step of: providing a layer retaining means along a side of the food item and having an opening sized to allow lateral removal of one or more of the separating sheets substantially through the opening while retaining the food item in layers.
The separating sheets may be positioned substantially parallel to the base of the food item. The method may include using a spacing means to maintain the separating sheets in relative spaced positions so as to avoid crushing of the layers of food items.